India's Crop Calendar for Buyers: Basmati, Pulses and Spices

When India harvests basmati, chana, tur, moong, cumin, chilli, turmeric and pepper, and the best windows for importers to sample and contract each crop.

This guide maps when India harvests basmati, the main pulses and key spices, so you can plan when to contract, when new-crop quality is best, and when supply is thin. Use it to time enquiries and samples instead of reacting to the market.

India's three seasons

Indian agriculture runs on three cropping seasons:

Kharif (monsoon crop). Sown with the monsoon rains, roughly June to July. Harvested September to December. Rice, tur, moong, urad and most chilli fall here.
Rabi (winter crop). Sown after the monsoon, roughly October to December. Harvested February to April. Chana, masoor, cumin, coriander and fennel are rabi crops.
Zaid (summer crop). A short irrigated season between rabi and kharif, roughly March to June. Summer moong is the main one for buyers.

Two weather periods matter most for supply and price. The monsoon from June to September sets the kharif crop. Winter temperatures and any rain at harvest time in February to April set rabi quality.

Calendar at a glance

Months are typical. Exact timing shifts by region and by year.

Crop	Season	Sown	Harvest	Main market arrivals
Basmati, PB 1509	Kharif	Jun–Jul	Late Sep–Oct	Sep–Oct
Basmati, PB 1121 / 1718 / 1401	Kharif	Jun–Jul	Oct–Nov	Oct–Dec
Basmati, traditional	Kharif	Jun–Jul	Nov	Nov–Dec
Tur (pigeon pea)	Kharif	Jun–Jul	Dec–Feb	Dec–Mar
Moong, urad	Kharif	Jun–Jul	Sep–Oct	Sep–Nov
Summer moong	Zaid	Mar–Apr	May–Jun	May–Jun
Chana (chickpea)	Rabi	Oct–Nov	Feb–Apr	Mar–Apr
Masoor (lentil)	Rabi	Oct–Nov	Mar–Apr	Mar–Apr
Cumin (jeera)	Rabi	Nov	Feb–Mar	Feb–Apr
Coriander, fennel	Rabi	Oct–Nov	Feb–Apr	Feb–Apr
Red chilli	Kharif	Jul–Sep	Dec–Apr	Jan–Apr
Turmeric	Kharif	May–Jun	Jan–Mar	Feb–May
Black pepper	Perennial		Dec–Feb	Dec–Mar
Small cardamom	Perennial		Aug–Feb, in picking rounds	Aug–Feb

Basmati

Basmati is transplanted in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh during June and July. Harvest moves in a clear order. The early variety 1509 is cut first, from late September. Main-season 1121, 1718 and 1401 follow in October and November. Traditional types come last.

What this means for buyers:

New-crop paddy prices form in October and November. Mills buy most of their year's paddy then. Offers for new-crop rice settle once the paddy market does.
Ageing takes time. Freshly milled new crop is available from around November, but many buyers want rice aged for several months. Aged new-crop lots appear in the following spring and later.
Old crop runs out before new crop is ready. Late summer is often the tightest period for well-aged stock of the previous crop.
Sella needs paddy. Parboiling is done on paddy, so new-crop sella is milled after harvest and drying.

A practical pattern: discuss specs and samples in September, contract once new-crop quality is visible between November and January, and book aged lots ahead for spring and summer shipments.

Pulses

Chana and masoor (rabi)

Chana is harvested from February in central and southern India and through March and April further north. Masoor follows in March and April. Arrivals peak in March and April.

Fresh arrivals carry more moisture and need drying and cleaning before export.
Quality is easiest to select during peak arrivals, when the widest choice of lots is in the market.

Tur (kharif, long duration)

Tur is sown with the monsoon but takes five to six months or more. Harvest runs from December to February. Arrivals are heaviest from December to March.

Moong and urad (kharif and summer)

Kharif moong and urad are harvested in September and October. A summer moong crop is harvested in May and June in irrigated areas.

For pulses bought through Delhi's Khari Baoli market, these windows also govern what millers and traders can offer, because they stock from the same arrivals.

Spices

Cumin, coriander and fennel

These seed spices are rabi crops, grown mainly in Gujarat and Rajasthan, with coriander also in Madhya Pradesh. New-crop arrivals start in February and peak in March and April at markets such as Unjha.

Weather risk: unseasonal rain or hail at harvest can discolour seed and raise moisture. Quality from the first arrivals can vary.
Contract timing: many buyers wait until new-crop quality is visible in March before fixing larger volumes, and book cleaned, sortexed product for shipment from April.

Red chilli

Chilli is harvested from December into April, with arrivals at Guntur and other markets heaviest from February to April. Chilli is sun-dried before sale and much of the crop is held in cold storage for the rest of the year.

Peak season gives the best choice of colour and pungency grades.
Off season supply comes from cold storage, so ask for storage history and test colour (ASTA) and moisture on the actual lot.

Turmeric

Turmeric rhizomes are dug from January to March. They are boiled, dried and polished before trading, so market arrivals run from February to May at Nizamabad, Erode, Sangli and other centres.

Curing takes time. Fresh arrivals may still be high in moisture. Allow for drying before shipment.
Curcumin content varies by region and variety. State your minimum in the contract.

Black pepper and cardamom

Black pepper is harvested in Kerala and Karnataka from December to February. Small cardamom is picked in rounds from about August to February.

Planning your year

Window	Good time to
Aug–Sep	Agree basmati specs, request pre-harvest samples
Oct–Dec	Watch new-crop paddy and early basmati quality; book tur for winter arrivals
Nov–Jan	Contract new-crop basmati; request chilli and turmeric samples
Feb–Apr	Select chilli, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, chana and masoor from peak arrivals
May–Jul	Ship aged basmati and cleaned seed spices; plan around the monsoon

Factors outside the calendar

Monsoon performance affects kharif volumes and quality. Late or weak rains delay sowing.
Government policy. Export rules for some commodities can change during the year. Check current DGFT notifications for your product before contracting.
Logistics. Container availability and freight rates move on their own cycle. Book space early for peak shipping months.

Before you contract

Know which season your product comes from and when arrivals peak
Ask for new-crop samples as soon as arrivals start
Specify crop year and, for basmati, minimum ageing
Allow time for drying, cleaning and sorting after harvest
Confirm current export rules for your product
Fix shipment windows that fit the crop, not only your stock levels

If you're planning purchases for the coming season, send us the products, grades, volumes and destination port. We'll tell you when new-crop samples will be available and come back with a written quote.